律令 (lǜ líng) — (formal) laws and regulations; statutes and decrees; (Daoism) incantation; magical command

Definition

律令 is a formal, written term for laws and decrees issued by rulers or governments. In Daoist religion it also means a magical incantation chanted by priests.

noun
(formal) laws and regulationsstatutes and decrees(Daoism) incantationmagical command

Examples

  • 律令。
    Gǔ dài wáng cháo tōng guò lǜ líng lái guǎn lǐ guó jiā.
    Ancient dynasties governed the country through laws and decrees.
  • 律令，。
    Dào shi kǒu zhōng niàn zhe lǜ líng, shǒu zhōng huī wǔ zhe jiàn.
    The Daoist priest chanted incantations while waving a sword in his hand.
  • 律令。
    Zhè bù lǜ líng duì shāng yè xíng wéi yǒu xiáng xì guī dìng.
    This body of laws and regulations has detailed provisions for commercial conduct.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

律lǜlaw
令lìngdecree

律 statutes and 令 orders, together mean laws and decrees.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
聿
聿yù律lǜ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

律 puts 彳 beside 聿: 彳 is the part tied to the meaning, and 聿 is the part tied to the sound.

Open 律 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 亼亼jí
  • 卩卩jié

In 令, the upper 亼 is an open mouth and the lower 卩 is a kneeling person, together showing someone giving orders.

Open 令 →

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